Farming Simulator might seem like a joke to many a gaming enthusiast, or even just a mess-around game at the very least. However, it gave me a new perspective on growing crops (ed - That will be hard for me to say with a straight face), and I actually found myself enjoying the experience.

Farming Simulator 19 is the latest iteration of developer Giants Software farming title, and expands on the previous games’ strengths. When launching the career option, you are able to choose which location your farm will be set in, either Ravenwood (American map) or Felsbrunn (European map). I opted for Ravenwood, and chose the newly-titled New Farmer mode. In previous games, the difficulty selection was titled Easy, Medium, and Hard, whereas this year’s iteration is labelled as New Farmer (Easy), Farm Manager (Medium), and Start from Scratch (Hard).


Do any of these screens get the Home channel?

New Farmer gives you access to land, money, and equipment for you to get farming straight away. If you aren’t interested in grinding all the way to this point, then I would definitely opt for this mode. Farm Manager gives you a substantial amount of funds for you to purchase land and equipment with, allowing to customise exactly what type of crops you want to grow and harvest from the get-go. Start from Scratch offers the most realistic setting for those looking to venture into the agricultural field, and offers limited capital with no land, buildings, equipment, or crops, forcing you to negotiate through tough economical climates.

...in order to seed and grow beetroot or potatoes, you will need a special sower, harvester, and collector. The realistic setting adds to the immersion of becoming Baba the Beet Farmer, but it is interesting.

The farming is fairly straightforward. The basic formula is that you plough your soil first, then seed afterwards. However, depending on the type of crop you are aiming to grow, you will need to use certain equipment, which is where the challenge will come in. For example, in order to seed and grow beetroot or potatoes, you will need a special sower, harvester, and collector. The realistic setting adds to the immersion of becoming Baba the Beet Farmer, but it is interesting.


Im'a harvesting ma' wheat

Farming Simulator 19 does offer the opportunity to lease equipment if you cannot afford to buy them outright, which offers a great deal of variety when it comes to growing crops. Another matter that it forces you to keep mindful of, is that pricing on different grains and crops fluctuate. You can opt to grow the crops that bring in higher revenue, but they typically take longer to grow, which is why it is a good idea to keep some quicker crops on hand (wheat is generally the best) so that you have a constant flow of revenue.

If veggies aren’t really your deal, you can also opt to raise farm animals and then sell their products to the various drop-off points. For example, if you buy sheep, you can sheer them for their wool and sell it to the local spinnery, and cows can be milked and sold as well. Furthermore, you can raise race-winning horses and sell them. Animals are generally higher maintenance, as you have to pay for their food and upkeep as you raise them, though, they are fairly lucrative.


Beetroots looks so not red

Speaking of horses, a new feature added to Farming Simulator 19 is the ability to ride a horse as an actual mode of transportation (ed - Arthur Morgan took up a life of farming). Yes, farmers need tractors, ploughs, harvesters, and a bakkie, but what rancher doesn’t want to ride a horse as they gallop around the map? That’s right, I thought so. The new horse riding mechanic is well implemented, with the same animation as getting into any other vehicle.

It is incredibly easy to let your expenses to outshine your profits, especially when leasing equipment from the vehicle shop.

So far, it seems pretty simple, and theoretically, it is. However, Farming Simulator 19 also forces to keep in mind some real life problems that farmers face. You will need to keep soil fertilised, also requiring specialised equipment, to keep your harvest strong; you will need to make sure that the soil is free of weeds; you will need to maintain all your vehicles and fuel for each vehicle; most importantly, you need to track your finances coming in and out. It is incredibly easy to let your expenses to outshine your profits, especially when leasing equipment from the vehicle shop. Selling at certain locations will offer better profits for your harvest, which you can track. It is always a good idea to consult this chart to see where you can get the most money for your crops.


Weeding, but not the one you're thinking of

Interestingly, Farming Simulator 19 adjusts its pricing system for the resale of crops based on supply and demand. For example, if you consistently sell one type of grain, the value of that particular product will diminish, and the less frequently you sell a certain crop, the more it will increase in value. This is a great way to ‘fix’ your own pricing, because as you limit the supply of an already high-value crop, the price will increase even more, generating more profit. Even in the digital world, farmers are screwing with prices.

Another fascinating mechanic is the contract system in Farming Simulator 19. You can take up contracts for other land owners, which allows you to generate some income while waiting for your harvest. Also, it gives you a chance to test new vehicles and crops farming as you can bale hay, harvest deep root crops such as potatoes, as well as sow and plough using bigger equipment. This was actually the way I discovered that I needed a new tractor, as well as a host other new headers for harvesters and smarter plough machines, which made my life much easier.


A cool 1,2 million Euros? No sweat

Farming Simulator 19 also allows you to build a sort-of farming empire, or farm-pire (ed - Please stop doing my job of puns), by buying up land across the map. To buy land, all you need is capital and a tenacious spirit, but most pieces of land already has fertile land for you to grow crops on, but you can also chop down trees and create new pieces of land to cultivate and grow. The mechanic is interesting because each piece of land comes with their own challenges, whereby they might some more TLC before they are ready to yield bountiful plunder. However, this does also give you an incredibly diverse market for farming, as you can have all type of crops growing, animal pens, as well as owning the dumping spots for each product type.


I like to just sit in my truck and enjoy the sunset after a long day

Overall, Farming Simulator 19 is a complex and intricate farming experience but it is incredibly fun once you have grasped all the mechanics. The relaxing nature of the game sets you up for a great couch gaming experience, and the amount of work to be done, on your land as well as others, will give you endless hours of gameplay. It’s a great introduction for new players into the world of farming simulation, and offers new mechanics for returning players. Farming Simulator 19 sets out to be a great farming experience and it delivers on that perfectly. It just works (ed - Haha!).

Honestly, I never thought I would enjoy a Farming Simulator game, and I have always cracked jokes about it, but I have even set Black Ops 4 and Battlefield V aside to harvest beets and drive around in my Lizard pick-up.

Farming Simulator 19 is available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.